System for dispensing a fireextinguishing medium



Feb. 26, 1952 w. H. FREYYGANG 2,586,809

SYSTEM FOR DISPENSING FIRE'EXTINGUISHING MEDIUM Filed May 7, 1946 fig,

Q fig 7 L 1 M l l l I 1 INVENTOR WA m? H fiffYGA/VG ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 26, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SYSTEM FOR DISPENSING A FIRE- EXTINGUISHIN G MEDIUM Walter H. Freygang, Essex Fells, N. J assignor to Specialties Development Corporation,

The present invention relates to preventing and extinguishing fires, and, more particularly to, a system for accomplishing the same which includes odorizing a fire extinguishing or pre-- venting medium upon discharge into an enclosure to thereby warn anyone attempting to enter the enclosure of the presence of the medium.

A number of very efiective fire preventing and extinguishing mediums are substantially odorless but have injurious effects on human beings when present in sufficient concentration. Of these mediums, the most generally used is carbon dioxide.

It has been customary to extinguish fires in enclosures or spaces, such as warehouse compartments and storage holds on ships by directing sufi'icient quantities of the aforementioned medium into the enclosures to extinguish the fires by rendering the atmosphere therein incapable of supporting a fire. It has also been customary to purge empty gas or oil tanks and the holds of tankers by introducing sufficient quantities of the medium to render the atmosphere non-explosive, and thereby enable repairs to be made from the exterior involving the use of heat, for example as in welding, without danger of causing explosions. In the event, a person who is unaware of the presence of the medium, enters the enclosure such person may be stricken before the danger is realized and may be unable to leave the enclosure whereupon death or serious injury may result.

Heretofore, it has been proposed to odorize such medium, but no satisfactory method or apparatus has been found for effectively odorizing the medium.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to odorize a fire preventing or extinguishing medium upon discharge thereof.

Another object is to uniformly disperse an odorant into a medium of the foregoing character.

Another object is to utilize the pressure of the medium to introduce and disperse the odorant therein.

Another object is to provide a simple fluid medium dispensing system for accomplishing the foregoing.

Further objects, not specifically enumerated above, will be apparent as the invention is described in greater detail in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic ,yiew of a fluid medium dispensing system, illustrating an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view, illustrating means for dispensing the odorant.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 on Figure 2.

Referring to Figure 1 of the drawing, there is shown a fluid medium dispensing system for pre-' venting and/or extinguishing fires in an enclosure 5, such as a storage compartment, cargo space, tank or tanker hold. The system comprises one or more receptacles, for example, cylindrical containers 6 for storing a fluid fire extinguishing medium such as liquid carbon dioxide, under a pressure of about 850 pounds per square inch at about F.; discharge release control valves 1 for the containers; a discharge conduit 8 connected for conducting the medium into the enclosure; and jets, nozzles, horns or shields 9 connected to the conduit 8 for distributing the medium within the enclosure.

In accordance with the invention, a devicelll is connected in the conduit 8, preferably ad; jacent its discharge end, for dispersing an odorant in the medium by utilizing the pressure of the medium, so that the medium introduced into the enclosure is uniformly odorized.

While various types of devices may be utilized for accomplishing the foregoing purpose, a device It] is shown in Figure 2 by way of example which comprises a T-fitting ll having its horizontal through bore connected in the conduit 8, and a receptacle [2 for storing an odorant and .connected to the vertical bore. of the fitting I I.

The receptacle l2 may be formed of glass or other transparent material, adapted to withstand the pressure to which it may be subjected, and to thereby enable the quantity of odorant in they receptacle to be determined by visual inspection.-

A cover member I4 is provided for confining the odorant in the receptacle 12. As shown, the cover member is disposed upon a shoulder IS in the vertical bore of the fitting H and is secured in place by the upper edge of the receptacle through the intermediation of a gasket or sealing ring 16 adapted to hermetically seal the receptacle.

The cover member M is provided with a check valve I'l including a spring seated member for, normally sealing an opening I9 between the horizontal bore of the fitting and the receptacle, which member is adapted to be unseated by the medium under pressure passing through the fit-' ting to enable the medium to establish a pres! sure head within the receptacle for expelling the odorant. v p

In order to expel the odorant, the cover member l4 carries a tube 20 having a lower syphon tube portion 2| disposed in the receptacle and having an upper portion 22 extending into the horizontal bore of the fitting II, which is provided with an atomizing orifice or nozzle 24 for dispersing the odorant in the medium. The portion 22 of the tube has laterally extending wing or ear portions 30 for establishing a low pressure area adjacent the nozzle 24, whereby the difference in the pressure at the opening l9 and the nozzle 24 is sufficient to effect the discharge of the medium in the receptacle. Preferably, the syphon tube portion 2! is provided at its lower end with a check valve 25 including a normally closed spring seated member for sealing the tube 20 to prevent the escape of odorant into the conduit prior to discharge of the medium.

The odorant may be any natural or synthetic compound or composition, preferably being in liquid form, having an odor which may vary from pleasant to repugnant and which may vary from very mild to extremely pronounced. The compound may also be of the type having an irritating effect on the eyes or respiratory system of human beings to render it practically impossible to enter an enclosure flooded with the medium. Such irritants should be harmless and neither toxic nor nauseating to human beings, but should serve to discourage entry of the enclosure. The compound utilized should be non-corrosive, should not react chemically or promote chemical reactions, and should be retained in dispersion by the dispensed medium for a sufficient duration. The term odorant as used herein and in the appended claims is intended to include all types of materials having any of the foregoing described characteristics.

In operation, the enclosure is flooded with the medium, to purge or to prevent or extinguish a fire therein, by operating the valves 1 to release the medium from the containers 6 into the conduit 8. As the medium is directed through the fitting II on its way to the enclosure, the pressure of the medium is effected to unseat the members of the valves l1 and 25, whereupon a pressure head is established within the receptacle l2 and discharge of the odorant through the tube 20 is effected.

As the odorant is expelled through the orifice 24,

it is dispersed into the stream of medium passing through the fitting and is uniformly commingled and distributed in the medium, whereby the mediumis thoroughly odorized.

By utilizing the pressure of the medium to introduce the odorant, asubstantially uniform concentration of odorant will be supplied to; any

given weight of medium under any circumstances.

For example, at higher pressures, the discharge rate is higher and the rate at which the odorant is introduced is proportionately higher than at lower pressures. However, for a given weight of medium at higher pressures, the discharge period will be shorter than at lower pressures and the odorant will be introduced for a shorter period of time. Thus, by reason of the fact that the rate at which the odorant is introduced and the period of introduction are inversely proportional, the quantity of odorant supplied to a given weight of medium will be substantially the same for discharges at any pressure. concentration of the odorant can be accurately predetermined and controlled by using an orifice 24 of a known size.

The foregoing is very advantageous because the medium will always be properly odorized and In this manner, the

there is no danger of ineffective odorization failing to provide a warning or the unnecessary waste of odorant by dispersing excessive quantities. The odorizing device of the present invention is thereby adaptable for fluid medium dispensing systems of any desired size.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the present invention provides an economical, practical and effective system for odorizing fire extinguishing and preventing medium. The odorizing device can be readily serviced without disturbing the system.

As various changes may be made in the form. construction, arrangement and operation of parts, and in the method disclosed herein, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and without sacrificing any of its advantages, it is to be understood that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the follow ing claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention, as a matter of language, which might be said to fall therebetween.

I claim:

1. In a fluid dispensing system for an enclosure subject to a fire hazard, the combination of a container for storing a fluid medium adapted to be discharged under pressure, means for said container adapted to control the release-of themedium therefrom, a discharge conduit connected for conducting the medium from said container into the enclosure, a receptacle for storing a fluid odorant having an inlet and an outlet in fluid flow communication with said conduit, normally closed means in said inlet operable by the pressure of the medium toeffect unclosing thereof whereby pressure is exerted on the odorant, normally closed means in said outlet operable by the odorant when pressure is exerted thereon to effect unclosing thereof, whereby odorant is directed through said outlet into said conduit, said normally closed means serving to confine the odorant in said receptacle to prevent odorizing of said conduit prior to release of the medium into said conduit, and bafile means in said conduit positioned for establishing a low pressure area adjacent said outlet.

2. In a fluid dispensing system for an enclosure subject to a fire hazard, the combination of a container for storing a fluid medium adapted to be discharged under pressure, normally closed valve means for said container adapted to control the release of the medium therefrom, a discharge conduit connected for conducting the medium from said container into the enclosure, a receptacle for storing a fluid odorant having an inlet and having an outlet in fluid flow communication with said conduit and facing downstream therein, normally closed check valve means in said inlet operable by the pressure of the medium to eifect unclosing thereof whereby pressure is exerted on the odorant, normally closed check valve means in said outlet operable by the odorant when pressure is exerted thereon to effect unclosing thereof, whereby odorant is directed through said outlet into said conduit, said normally closed check valve means in said inlet and in said outlet serving to confine the odorant in said receptacle to prevent odorizing of said conduit prior to release of the medium into said REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Graham Oct. 1, 1895 Number Number Name Date Sulzberger July 12, 1904 Kollmann Oct. 7, 1930 Ashley Oct. 17, 1933 Geer Nov. 21, 1933 Allen et a1 Aug. 14, 1934 Warner Jan. 28, 1936 Rolle Oct. 27, 1936 Paasche Nov. 3, 1936 Tear June 7, 1938 Harrison et a1 Dec. 16, 1941 Doxsey et a1 Jan. 26, 1943 

